1. Customise your cover photo

As detailed in our original post, the cover photo is the most important visual element of your page. It’s what visitors will see first when landing on the page and is a great way to capture attention and communicate key messages.

The best way to make the most of the cover photo is to have a graphic designer or in-house specialist handle it for you to ensure there are no errors. Remember to never use more than 20% of the space for text (excluding logos or brand names) and that it should fit with your profile picture.

Lastly the cover photo is also the ideal place from which to carry seasonal or promotional messages. If for example you have a particularly great deal available you can make use of the cover photo area to reinforce the message and drive traffic to the relevant pages.

2. Video integration

Facebook is a great platform for sharing video content. There are a few ways to do this.

If you already use YouTube to upload videos of properties, you can integrate your YouTube channel via dedicated apps that will add your channel’s contents to your Fanpage as a tab. There are a few freely available apps that will allow you to do this, for example Youtube Tab. These are generally easy to set up. Make sure that you have access to your YouTube channel first as you’ll need to get some details from there to finalise the app’s settings.

You can also opt to share YouTube videos directly to your Fanpage, with text and relevant links, which will encourage people to like, share and comment on them.

Lastly you can also consider making use of Facebook’s own video system. You can add videos to your page in the same way you would a photo, and therefore create a repository of your property videos that can be shared, tagged and easily spread through the network.

3. Adverts

Facebook adverts work in a similar way to Google’s. So if you’ve used the latter before the system Facebook employs won’t be too difficult to get used to.

Ads can be designed and targeted as specifically as you want – for example a property advert targeted to users who live in the area and are between a certain age range.

The best way to learn about Facebook ads and what they can do for you is to follow Facebook’s guidelines.

In addition to adverts Facebook now allows you to promote, or sponsor, content. This can be a post that you’ve shared or even your page. Sponsored content acts similar to adverts in that it is shown to people who haven’t liked your page. And as with adverts it can also be targeted so you don’t pay to reach groups that aren’t relevant.

One last option that Facebook has recently rolled out is offers, which allows you to give your audience deals directly from your Facebook page.

4. Make use of customised tabs

Custom tabs are a great tool if you want flexibility. They can bring parts of your website onto the Fanpage, like a listings page for example, and display that for people to interact with inside Facebook.

To create a custom tab you’ll need an app such as a static html app. Unless you have some knowledge of building websites, you will want a web professional, such as the person currently in charge of your website, set it up for you.

5. Consistent content

Regular content is essential to keeping fans engaged with your page and obtaining new leads. Consistency in social media use is critical to establishing a successful online presence.

CityBlast is indispensable for real estate agents who want to ensure their social media presence is consistent and of high quality. By installing CityBlast to your Facebook page you’ll be posting beautiful listings and informative articles regularly throughout the day. And best of all you won’t have to lift a finger.

There you have it, five simple ways to optimise your real estate business Fanpage on Facebook. If you still feel like you need more help, drop us a line at info@cityblast.com and one of our Social Experts will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.